U.S. state governments are accelerating the rollout of crypto infrastructure, while the federal level in Washington moves slowly

Byline: Forbes

Compiled by: AididiaoJP, Foresight News

Since crypto has become a policy topic, the related debate has long centered on Washington, D.C.—which is entirely reasonable, given that the SEC (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission), the CFTC (U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission), the Treasury, and Congress jointly shape the future of digital assets. However, entering 2026, some of the most influential policy developments are emerging not from Washington, but from state capitals.

New Hampshire is the latest example. Governor Kelly Ayotte recently signed HB 639, the “Blockchain Basic Law,” providing legal protections for digital asset users, developers, miners, validators, and businesses. The bill safeguards the rights to use digital assets and to self-custody them, and authorizes the establishment of dedicated court channels to handle blockchain-related disputes. The move builds on a law the state passed in 2025—allowing the state treasurer to invest part of public funds (up to 5%) in precious metals and eligible digital assets. Based on market-cap thresholds, currently only Bitcoin qualifies.

These measures put New Hampshire at the forefront in pro-innovation and pro-technology policymaking. It is building a comprehensive legal infrastructure around ownership, payments, custody, commercial activity, and dispute resolution—exactly the key elements that drive broader adoption and usage.

New Hampshire goes beyond slogan-level policy

While a Bitcoin strategic reserve proposal is likely to make headlines, the “Blockchain Basic Law” may be more meaningful in the long run. Reserve laws mainly affect how state governments allocate public assets, while broader blockchain legislation will reach entrepreneurs, investors, service providers, courts, and consumers. Of particular note is the protection of self-custody wallets. Self-custody remains one of the most core features that differentiates crypto assets from traditional financial products, but it also brings legal, operational, and cybersecurity challenges. By clearly recognizing the rights to hold and use digital assets, New Hampshire offers certainty without pretending that all risks do not exist.

The dedicated blockchain dispute resolution channels embedded in the bill are also pragmatic. Smart contracts, tokenized assets, validator activity, and decentralized networks may trigger disputes that do not fit within traditional commercial frameworks. Courts need expertise, precedent, and consistent procedures, and legal modernization must advance in step with technology adoption.

Texas turns legislation into real execution

Texas has gone further in translating Bitcoin policy into practical operating plans. In June 2025, Governor Greg Abbott signed SB 21, establishing the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Legislators appropriated $10 million, and the state subsequently completed an initial investment of about $5 million through a spot Bitcoin ETF.

Texas is also continuously building the administrative framework required to manage the reserve to adapt to an evolving Bitcoin market. In May 2026, the state auditor appointed a five-member advisory committee and issued a request for proposals for custody and liquidity services. Selected service providers must support secure asset management, reporting, key management, and operational controls—helping shift public-sector crypto adoption processes toward standardization rather than relying on slogans and social-media posts. Effective public-sector crypto policy requires valuation standards, custody controls, cybersecurity procedures, financial reporting, transparency, and accountability mechanisms.

Compared with Texas’s overall budget, these amounts are still relatively small, but that is not the point. Texas has successfully turned Bitcoin from a legislative concept into real public-finance operations. Other states now have an operating model they can study, improve, or replicate.

Wyoming shows that leadership is an ongoing process

Wyoming’s experience shows that state-level innovation is not always smooth sailing. A 2025 proposal allowing some state funds (up to 3%) to be invested in Bitcoin failed to pass. But Wyoming has continued to stay ahead through its dedicated banking framework, blockchain-focused legislative work, and the rollout of “Frontier Stable Token” (FRNT).

FRNT opened to the public in January 2026 and is described as the first stablecoin issued by a U.S. state. Its reserves are held by a Wyoming trust and invested in USD and short-term U.S. Treasury bills. Wyoming provides an important lesson: a state can reject a crypto proposal while continuing to move forward in other areas of blockchain innovation. This kind of experimentation is one of the advantages of federalism. States can test different approaches and generate empirical data on custody, governance, consumer protection, fiscal management, and economic development.

Not every state initiative will succeed, and not every proposal should pass. The key is that states are actively debating, testing, and implementing policies—not waiting for perfect consensus at the national level.

The CLARITY Act remains unfinished business

The contrast with Washington is hard to ignore. In July 2025, the House passed the CLARITY Act by a bipartisan vote of 294-134. In May 2026, the Senate Banking Committee also advanced its version by a vote of 15-9. However, the legislation has not yet passed the full Senate, and the negotiating parties still diverge on issues such as statutory provisions, federal preemption, regulatory appointments, DeFi protections, and consumer safeguards. The merged Senate proposal will also need enough bipartisan support to clear the 60-vote threshold.

States cannot solve all nationwide problems, and the ongoing lack of leadership at the federal level continues to hinder further growth and development for the crypto asset industry. States also cannot fully determine the division of authority between the SEC and CFTC, write unified national exchange rules, or eliminate compliance costs caused by patchwork state laws—but they are no longer waiting. New Hampshire is protecting blockchain activity, Texas is operating a funded reserve, and Wyoming is expanding blockchain-based financial infrastructure and state-backed stablecoins.

Decision-makers across the country, and in Washington, D.C., should take note: although the federal government’s collective action is slow, positive momentum continues to build at the state level.